Friday, March 20, 2009

God and Space – the building of the Mishkan connects heaven to earth

There were two space-worthy events in the news this week. The first was that Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:43 p.m. this past Sunday to deliver the final set of power-generating solar array wings and a new crew member to the International Space Station. On the NASA website http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/ you can track the day to day activities of the shuttle, meet the crew, and watch video of the take-off and pairing with the space station. I love space flight and the one thing I regret when living in Florida was not being able to see a live launch. The program was basically in hiatus for a few years following the explosion of space shuttle Columbia along with the loss of 7 astronauts including of course Israeli born Ilan Ramon. http://www.science.co.il/ilan-ramon/ (The only other Jew to make it to space was Elijah the prophet who rode a fiery chariot up to heaven )http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=245&letter=E. I got a call on Monday from a friend who lives down in Boca saying she went to the launch and it was truly a sight to see, the power, the noise, and the majesty of a rocket launching towards the stars. It’s something I have always wanted to see, and hope to some day.

The other newsworthy space related story was that there is a new Star Trek movie http://www.startrekmovie.com/coming out this May and apparently there is a town in Alberta called Vulcan. Anyone who is a trekkie fan knows that is the home planet of Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. Perhaps not everyone is aware of Nimoy’s Jewish roots, in fact he had a Jewish photography exhibit in NYC at HUC while I was in school there. You know his famous “live long and prosper” hand greeting. Apparently when the show was filming the director wanted some sort of interesting hand signal greeting from Spock and Nimoy suggested it, remembering from childhood how his Cohen father used to use it when doing the priestly benediction. Rabbi’s and Cohanim still use this to this day, and often you might see the hand sign on the gravestones of Jewish cohanim. But I digress. The point is that Vulcan, Alberta wanted to host the first screening of the new film but apparently Paramount couldn’t handle this logistical dilemma. Yesterday Nimoy personally took up the cause to bring the screening to Canada. http://www.vulcantourism.com/Personally, wherever the film is screened I can’t wait to see it, I’m a big trekkie fan.

You might now be asking, what does space or spaceships have to do with our Torah portion this week. As we read this morning in parshat vayakhel-pekudai, God provides us with very specific details on the building of the mishkan, the tabernacle. In fact in Exodus we are provided with this specific precise measurements and minute details 4 times. Why so many times, the great Torah scholar Adin Steinsalz http://www.steinsaltz.org/asks, why devote so many lines of text towards the physical attributes of the mishkan and its vessels when its purpose is spiritual.

His answer is that the Mishkan is a way to create a relationship between God and the people Israel, the first tangible connection to God, a medium of communication that bridge the immeasurable distance between the finite and infinite. Clearly it needed great care, time and precision to achieve this union of heaven and earth. (Jerusalem Report, Mar. 7, 2005)
Steinsaltz suggests that the building of the Mishkan could be compared to the building of a spaceship, and he outlines the following reasons. A spaceship is built to journey to distant extraterrestrial places, though they are voyages defined by physical parameters. The Mishkan faced an even greater challenge, to transcend vast distances beyond physical parameters, towards the infinite God. When building a spaceship, one must develop a design, gather the raw materials, and fashion each component. Then each item must be checked, and double checked, tested, and joined together into a cohesive unit.
Then each part must be checked again, retested and reassembled. Then the whole ship must be tested, over and over again, to ensure safety and perfection. It seems that at each launch there is always a delay or a final check, because something was amiss, and it has to be perfect. With a launch, the slightest problem can have catastrophic results. Actually on this last launch, apparently a small bat was clinging to the side of an exterior tank when the shuttle took off, and somehow not only did he decide not to fly away, he actually clung on through the launch all the way up at least until the shuttle left the atmosphere. But this bat didn’t affect the launch in any way.
Now if the spaceshuttle needs that much preparation and rechecking, then Kal V’chomer (a Talmudic phrase that means, “how much more so”) the Mishkan needed to be assembled, deconstructed and constructed anew to verify that each part perfectly complemented the other.

And even once the spaceship has been built; it still needs human involvement both inside and out. The space shuttle is guided by engineers on the ground and the astronauts on board. Throughout liftoff, travel and return, it is closely watched throughout the world, in wonder and amazement, and such a marvel of human creation, and we are united in grief when things do not go well. For the Mishkan too, on the last climactic day of its creation, an extraordinary attention to detail was required by Moses, Aaron and the Priests. Only after the Mishkan was created perfectly and the flawless performance by the people to prepare the sacrifice, was God revealed “and the glory of God appeared to the entire nation and a fire went forth and consumed the offerings…the whole nation saw and sang with joy and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:23-24). Finally a connection between the people on earth and God of heaven and the cosmos above.
The famous Rav Kook,(chief Rabbi of Israel in the 1930’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Isaac_Kook), agreed that the Mishkan corresponded to the entire universe. The Talmud teaches us (Shabbat 99a) that the gold fasteners holding up the intricately woven tapestries would sparkle like stars in the sky. There were two tapestries held together, emphasizing the unity of the mishkan, they would make it “one”. The wooden beams of the upright beams were held together into the base by sliding into silver sockets (adanim). The harmonious synchronization of the building reflects the harmony of our world and universe. The stars in the universe that hold together the great canopy of the cosmos bind the forces of the world into one. And we realize that ultimately, just as people created the mishkan, it was God who created the design and harmoniously formed the world in its splendor and perfection, for the ultimate unity of the universe.

Today we have spaceships and movies about what might be out in space, but our Mishkan, the one so beautifully described in our text, does not exist anymore. Steinsaltz suggest that while the physical Mishkan is gone, the essence of the Mishkan lives on in the neshama, the soul, of each Jewish person. Just as the construction of the Mishkan required such careful attention to detail, we must develop our own neshama, it cannot be faked or bought or borrowed. While our neshama was designed by God, we must enhance and develop it. As Moses and Aaron finalized the Mishkan so that God’s presence could enter it, so too we finalize our neshama in our daily actions and interactions, no matter how small or insignificant, to discover and fulfill our purpose on earth. This is demanding work, because it forces us to remember that our daily actions can have long last effects on our wholeness and on the people around us. But if we take small steps we too might find the way to connect Heaven and earth.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Let's fight hunger in Halton

Living in Oakville, it is not always apparent how the other half lives. There is a great deal of homelessness and poverty in Ontario, though it seems relegated to the larger cities such as Toronto and Hamilton. There is of course poverty right here in our own backyard. 7-8% of people in Halton are living below the poverty line, meaning around 35,000 people are in need and have expressed some level of food insecurity. I recently went to an interfaith meeting to discuss different food programs in Oakville, particularly one called "Food for Life". Their goal is that no person should go to bed hungry while stores, restaurants and food suppliers throw out food into the garbage. Starting in 1995, they pick up food around town and then deliver it to certain sites where families and individuals can pick up care packages. They are looking for volunteers to help pick up food in the evening from stores, please let me know if you're interested in helping out.

Food for life is part of a bigger group, the "Halton Region Food Bank Network" which supports food progams of various degrees, including the Fareshare Food Bank to whom we deliver foods regularly, especially our impressive annual High Holiday food drive. This might be one of the areas we focus on for our annual Mitzvah Day which will take place on Sunday May 31st.

On a macro-level, fighting poverty by supporting a food bank is a small step compared to what our Ontario Legislature can achieve to reduce poverty. In this vein, looking to the passing of the Ontario Budget at the end of March the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition has been having a daily vigil at Queens Park to pray for a budget that fights poverty for the most needy in Ontario. This can have a much larger impact in terms of dollars and I would like our community to participate in the vigil. Let's gather in the morning of March 23rd at Queen's Park to do our part for those less fortunate, as it says in our Tanach, we are taught to leave the corners of our fields and the gleanings of our harvest to the poor (Leviticus 19:9), and to open our hands and lend to people whatever it is they need (Deuteronomy 7-11). We learn that helping fellow human beings in need, tzedakah, is not simply a matter of charity, but of responsibility, righteousness, and justice. Moreover we are not merely commanded to give to the poor, but to advocate on their behalf. We are told in Proverbs 31:9, to "speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy." Please read Rabbi Dow Marmur's article from the Star on this subject. http://www.thestar.com/article/598084
Let's do our part to fight poverty and hunger here in Oakville and across our Province.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

fighting back against Israel Apartheid Week on campus

I come back from Israel to find out that in my own backyard, at my alma mater, the University of Toronto, (and Universities across Canada) they are having an Israeli Apartheid week. I am so disgusted by this term, let alone what is stands for. I am ready to hear about "dialogue on Israel" week or "peace prospects in the Middle East" but I'm not prepared for a slogan that by its essence condemns Israel. IAW delegitimizes Israel, that by its essence, her existence is a crime against humanity. Its so upsetting to hear that this is happening right now on our campuses. And what about the reports of Jewish students barricated at York in the Hillel offices by Palestinian supports screaming insults and swearing at them, while onlookers simply watched.

In response, I have seen some positive developments. In The Toronto Star, I read a great editorial from Gil Troy, a professor at McGill who reminds professors of their obligation to be moral exemplars of true freedom of speech on campuses. You can read his article at http://www.thestar.com/article/596860

I also read an article from a non-Jew, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff who wrote quite passionately in the National Post condemning IAW. Here is one quote from his editorial:
"Criticism of Israel is legitimate. Attempting to describe its very existence as a crime against humanity is not.IAW is part of a global campaign of proclamations, boycotts and calls for divestment, which originated in the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, in 2001. Like "Durban I," IAW singles out one state, its citizens and its supporters for condemnation and exclusion, and it targets institutions and individuals because of what and who they are - Israeli and Jewish.IAW goes beyond reasonable criticism into demonization. It leaves Jewish and Israeli students wary of expressing their opinions, for fear of intimidation.No Canadian should ever have to fear for their safety in a public space because of who they are or what they believe."
for the full article you can go to the following website: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/03/05/michael-ignatieff-israel-apartheid-week-and-cupe-ontario-s-anti-israel-posturing-should-be-condemned.aspx

In Hamilton on Tuesday night, the Hillel brilliantly scheduled a lecture by a Sudanese survivor entitled "Destroying the Apartheid Myth: A story of survival and security for Sudanese refugees in the State of Israel". Does the world know that refugees from Darfur are living in Israel, given citizenship and a new life after fleeing death, rape and destruction at the hands of the Janjaweed? What a great way to combat the anti-semitism of IAW by having a survivor speak of how thankful he is to Israel for giving him a new start on life.

Next week, along with my colleagues on the Greater Toronto Board of Rabbi's, we're each spending a day on different Toronto and Hamilton campuses to be a sounding board to students, give talks and support our Jewish students. I urge you to stay informed of what is happening on our campuses and show your support.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Reflections on the CCAR conference in Jerusalem

Dear Congregants
I have arrived back in Toronto this morning, having taken the overnight flight from Jerusalem direct to Toronto. I took for granted that Toronto has a direct flight, so many of my colleagues were flying into NYC or Atlanta and then to transfer back to Arizona, New Orleans, Baltimore, Miami, etc. My flight was quite pleasant, as was my final day in Jerusalem.

Yesterday I rode on a bus into the settlements of Israel, Jewish towns and villages in what is known as the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria (each name has political and religious ramifications). The “green line” was set as the border between Israel and Jordan in 1948, and when Israel conquered this land in 1967, its been in dispute ever since. Some believe this was the land of Israel as promised in the Bible. Some believe this was conquered in the war, similar to any other country in the world that acquired land by war, and free to be settled upon by the victors. Some say its Palestinian land as this is where most Palestinians live. Most people cannot agree on anything about this land.

We crossed into the “territories” or “shtachim” in Hebrew by crossing through a very simple checkpoint. The scenery didn’t change, the road didn’t change, it was easier then driving between the US and Canada. We drove into a beautiful settlement area called “Gush Etzion” made up of a group of towns and villages. This spot was actually purchased by Jews in the early part of the 20th century and 4 moshavim were established there. During the war of independence, the fighters fought valiantly but were overcome by the Jordanian army. When Israel re-conquered the area in 1967 it seemed only fair to rebuild the settlement on the same spot, in fact a large oak tree remained through the entire time. The settlements combined have over 60,000 people. Its got plenty of housing, schools, industry etc. We toured around and then met the mayor, a wonderful man who explained to us his vision for Israel that included all these settlements, and it was hard to argue with him. The Israeli government allowed construction on any land that was no man’s land, meaning there were no deeds of ownership, either Arab or Israeli. The entire Gush Etzion bloc of settlements are all built on state land, indeed they have never encroached on private Arab land ever. He explained to us the danger of creating a Palestinian state, based on what has happened in the Gaza Strip, who voted a terrorist organization into power, who attack Israel by rockets on a daily basis. And the West Bank borders Jerusalem and many other cities up and down the country, rockets could easily hit our capital and airport and major industrial centers and power plants. He wonders what kind of industry and infrastructure Palestinians will have since so far the only industries in the Palestinian West Bank villages are olive oil and grapes. Our group challenged him with many questions about how Israeli’s and Palestinians might live together in this disputed land and he confidently answered each one with passion and clarity. We were impressed by his presentation, whether we agreed with him or not.

Then to our amazement, it began to snow, an event quite rare for Israel (expect for the mountains in the north), they even had to close the roads for a while. Clearly the members of the town were not expecting it as they wandered around in sandals. We’ve now had 3 days of rain, but only in Israel people cheer when it rains. In fact we’ve been patting ourselves on the back that since the Reform Rabbi’s came to Israel, the rains have begun, demonstrating to the Orthodox how vital we are to the success of the state. We’ve been told the Sea of Galilee, that supplies fresh water to most of the country, is rising to adequate levels as are the underground aquifers in the Jerusalem area.

Once the roads opened we took a bus to a kibbutz just outside of Jerusalem for our final program. We heard from a labor party representative Ophir Pines Paz, who explained how despite their election loss, the party plans to be in the opposition to Netanyahu and the right wing parties who won the election and stand with their principles and not enter into a coalition. Of course the paper reported the same day that Labor had not ruled out joining the coalition and that Ehud Barak had been offered the ministry of Defense. A typical day in Israeli politics. David Horovitch, the editor of the Jerusalem Post then spoke on the mood in Israel following the Gaza war and the ramifications of the election. As no coalition has formed his crystal ball did not reveal the future of Israeli politics, but he did assure us that Israel had demonstrated much better tactics in the Gaza war, both in terms of military performance and the support of the country for their actions and so the mood in Israel is more positive today then a few months ago.

Upon reflection I was very impressed with the conference. Not only was it organized well, but there were workshops on all points of view religiously and politically. We had inspiring worship services, some serious text study and valuable encounters with Israeli’s on important issues. I look forward to bringing back some new ideas and plans for our congregation for the coming months ahead. I have also found it meaningful to put my thoughts into words for the congregation, and have decided to start a blog at http://www.hockeyplayingrabbi.blogspot.com
I will post reflections to my blog and you’ll be able to read them by clicking on a link in the weekly email. They might be thoughts on Israel, on the Jewish world, on the Torah portion. I might attach articles, pictures or vides of interest. Since this is my first blog I don’t know exactly what you’ll find but that is why you’ll have to log on to find out.


Rabbi Stephen Wise


Shaarei-Beth El Congregation
186 Morrison Road, Oakville, Ontario L6J 4J4 Canada
phone 905-849-6000 fax 905-849-1134 rabbi.wise@sbe.ca www.sbe.ca